Omar Sharif

Omar Sharif (Egyptian Arabic: عمر الشريـف, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [%CB%88%CA%95om%C9%91%C9%BE%CB%A4 eʃʃɪˈɾiːf]; born Michel Demitri Chalhoub, [mi%CB%88%CA%83el dɪˈmitɾi ʃælˈhuːb]; April 10, 1932 – July 10, 2015), also credited as Omar Cherif, was an Egyptian actor. The assumed surname Sharif means "noble" in Arabic. His films included Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Funny Girl (1968). He was nominated for an Academy Award and won three Golden Globe Awards and a César Award. On July 10, 2015, at the age of 83, Sharif died after a heart attack at a hospital in Cairo, Egypt.[44][45]

Sharif once ranked among the world's top 50 contract bridge players, and played in an exhibition match before the Shah of Iran.

Sharif's autobiography 'L'Etenel Masculin"was published in France in 1976 and in America the following year as "The Eternal Male.".

family

Omar Sharif was born on 10 April 1932, as Michel Demitri Chalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt, to a Melkite Greek Catholic family of Syro-Lebanese descent. His father, Joseph Chalhoub, a precious woods merchant originally from Zahle, moved to Egypt in the early 20th century. His mother, Claire Saada, was a noted society hostess, and Egypt's King Farouk was a regular visitor until he was deposed in 1952.

In his youth, Sharif studied at Victoria College, Alexandria, where he showed a talent for languages. He later graduated from Cairo University with a degree in mathematics and physics.[15] He then worked for a while in his father's precious wood business before studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[14][15] In 1955, Sharif changed his name and converted to Islam in order to marry[15][16] fellow Egyptian actress Faten Hamama.

In 1954 acclaimed actress Faten Hamama accepted young Sharif as her co-star in the film Struggle in the Valley and shockingly accepted a scene involving a kiss with him, a first in her career. The two fell in love, and Sharif converted to Islam and married her.[34] The couple had one son, Tarek El-Sharif, born 1957 in Egypt, who appeared in Doctor Zhivago as Yuri at the age of eight. They separated in 1966 and the marriage ended in 1974.[32] Sharif never remarried; he stated that since his divorce, he never fell in love with another woman.[32] Hamama died in 2015.

Wikipedia citations:

• 2. "Omar Sharif Biography (1932-)". FilmReference.com. Retrieved May 25, 2015. Source notes: "Original name, Michael Shalhoub (some sources spell surname "Chalhoub")"
• 3. Curtis, Edward E. (2010). Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History. Facts on File. p. 198. ISBN 978-0816075751.
• 4. "Omar Sharif: 'It is a great film, but I'm not very good in it'", The Independent
• 5. Dagan, Carmel; Weissber, Jay (10 July 2015). "Omar Sharif, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Dr. Zhivago’ Star, Dies at 83". Variety. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
• 6. "Obituary: Omar Sharif". BBC. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
• 32. AlJazeeraEnglish. "Riz Khan - Omar Sharif - 10 Oct 07". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-11-18
• 34. "THEY are two of the greatest names in film history.". This is Hull and East Riding. 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
• 42. "Legendary actor Omar Sharif 'has Alzheimer's disease and confuses his starring roles in Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia'". DailyMail. May 23, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
• 43. "Film star Omar Sharif dies aged 83". BBC News website. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.

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• imdb, google image search, "Remembering Hollywood Icon Omar Sharif" Geni blog, "Behind the camera on "Funny Girl"", Turner Classic Movies - Omar Sharif Profile, BridgeBum - Omar Sharif Profile "Acting may be my business, but bridge is my passion."